Hoff Notches U.S. Open and Meet Record in 400 IM Conquest

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 3 KATIE Hoff turned in a U.S. Open and meet record in the grueling 400-meter IM at the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships with a 4:35.82. That performance erased Janet Evans' 18-year-old meet record of 4:38.58 set in 1988 and Hoff's own U.S. Open standard of 4:37.06 posted in 2005.

"I have learned how to control a race," Hoff said. "I really have fun with it and come on strong. The breaststroke really helped me out. I think I split it pretty well and swam a smart race."

At the 100-meter mark, Club Wolverine's Kaitlin Sandeno, coached by Bob Bowman, used a strong butterfly leg to take an early lead at 1:03.71. North Baltimore's Katie Hoff, coached by Paul Yetter, snared the lead with sterling backstroke leg to post a 2:14.45 at the halfway mark.

Hoff moved away from the field in the breaststroke with a 3:32.36, which stood .73 seconds under the American-record pace. At the 350-meter mark, Hoff remained on pace with a 4:04.40 split halfway through the freestyle. Hoff, however, dropped off in the final 50 meters to finish with a 4:35.82 in a U.S. Open and meet record time.

Meanwhile, King Aquatic Club's Ariana Kukors, coached by Sean Hutchison, pocketed silver in 4:40.10, while Sandeno captured bronze in 4:43.06.

"I am so excited to make the Pan Pacs team," Kukors said. "I am so relieved and so excited about it."

"I think my 200 IM may be better than my 400 IM," Sandeno said.

While Sandeno won the butterfly leg with a 1:03.71, Hoff owned the fastest backstroke in 1:10.59. She also recorded the quickest breaststroke leg with a 1:17.91. She then came home with the fastest freestyle of 1:03.46.

At the butterfly to backstroke changeover during the consolation heat, Sierra Marlin Stephanie Cota, coached by Gregg Troy and Jeff Pearson, posted the fastest fly split with a 1:04.59 to take an early lead. At the halfway mark, Cota pushed her lead out with a 2:15.10 after the backstroke.

Auburn University’s Lauren Duerk, coached by Ralph Crocker, used an incredible breaststroke to power into first with a 3:43.92 at the 300-meter mark. Cota, however, dropped the hammer in the freestyle to capture the title with a personal-best 4:48.05. Meanwhile, Bulldog Aquatics’ Ava Ohlgren, coached by Bradley Brockway, tracked down Duerk in the final 10 meters to capture second in 4:49.04, while Duerk took third in 4:49.80.

After the butterfly leg of the bonus consolation heat, Penn State University’s Karie Heglund, coached by Bill Dorenkott, owned a slight lead with a 1:05.35. WSY Swimming’s Leah Gingrich, coached by Michael Gobrecht, used a powerful backstroke to take the lead at 2:18.54 at the halfway mark.

At the 300-meter mark, Gingrich remained in front with a 3:45.61 split after a strong breaststroke leg. Overall, the National Junior Team member shaved nearly four seconds from her prelim time to touch first in 4:49.52.

Meanwhile, Gator Swim Club’s Ashley Carusone, coached by Gregg Troy, picked up second place in 4:50.91, while Indiana University’s Allison Kay, coached by Ray Looze, snared third in 4:51.82.

Event 18 Women 400 LC Meter IM
==================================================================
World: W 4:33.59 9/16/2000 Yana Klochkova, UKR
American: A 4:34.95 8/14/2004 Katilin Sandeno, USA
U.S. Open: O 4:37.06 8/2/2005 Katie Hoff, N. Baltimore
LC Nationals: M 4:38.58 8/8/1988 Janet Evans, Fullerton
Oly. Trial: 4:55.89
Sum. Nat Cut: 4:57.79
US Open Cut: 5:03.39
Meet Qualifying: 4:57.79
Name Age Team Prelims Finals FINA
==================================================================
=== Championship Final ===

1 Hoff, Katie 17 North Baltimore- 4:38.69 4:35.82O 1000
r:+0.80 29.87 1:03.86 (33.99)
1:39.78 (35.92) 2:14.45 (34.67)
2:52.93 (38.48) 3:32.36 (39.43)
4:04.40 (32.04) 4:35.82 (31.42)
2 Kukors, Ariana 17 King-PN 4:44.33 4:40.10 955
r:+0.83 30.20 1:04.86 (34.66)
1:40.59 (35.73) 2:15.70 (35.11)
2:54.75 (39.05) 3:35.15 (40.40)
4:07.90 (32.75) 4:40.10 (32.20)
3 Sandeno, Kaitli 23 Club Wolverine-M 4:45.26 4:43.06 925
r:+0.76 30.00 1:03.71 (33.71)
1:40.02 (36.31) 2:15.68 (35.66)
2:57.52 (41.84) 3:38.78 (41.26)
4:12.15 (33.37) 4:43.06 (30.91)
4 Aemisegger, Ali 18 Germantown Acade 4:46.26 4:43.83 918
r:+0.79 30.17 1:04.70 (34.53)
1:41.51 (36.81) 2:17.45 (35.94)
2:57.81 (40.36) 3:39.30 (41.49)
4:12.21 (32.91) 4:43.83 (31.62)
5 Crippen, Teresa 16 Germantown Acade 4:47.26 4:46.18 895
r:+0.87 29.94 1:03.82 (33.88)
1:40.17 (36.35) 2:14.67 (34.50)
2:59.08 (44.41) 3:42.83 (43.75)
4:15.42 (32.59) 4:46.18 (30.76)
6 Binder, Adrienn 21 Santa Barbara Sw 4:44.20 4:46.27 894
r:+0.81 30.34 1:04.64 (34.30)
1:42.92 (38.28) 2:19.62 (36.70)
2:59.90 (40.28) 3:41.48 (41.58)
4:14.51 (33.03) 4:46.27 (31.76)
7 Hersey, Kathlee 16 Swim Atlanta-GA 4:47.51 4:46.34 894
r:+0.73 30.46 1:04.06 (33.60)
1:40.81 (36.75) 2:16.57 (35.76)
2:58.78 (42.21) 3:41.38 (42.60)
4:14.71 (33.33) 4:46.34 (31.63)
8 Carroll, Kathle 21 Club Wolverine-M 4:47.92 4:46.84 889
r:+0.67 30.50 1:04.42 (33.92)
1:41.38 (36.96) 2:17.27 (35.89)
2:59.94 (42.67) 3:42.47 (42.53)
4:15.51 (33.04) 4:46.84 (31.33)

=== Consolation Final ===

9 Cota, Stephanie 19 Sierra Marlins S 4:49.68 4:48.05 878
r:+0.68 30.07 1:04.59 (34.52)
1:40.44 (35.85) 2:15.10 (34.66)
2:59.43 (44.33) 3:44.77 (45.34)
4:16.98 (32.21) 4:48.05 (31.07)
10 Ohlgren, Ava 18 Bulldog Aquatic- 4:49.39 4:49.04 869
r:+0.77 30.34 1:05.20 (34.86)
1:42.84 (37.64) 2:19.83 (36.99)
3:01.98 (42.15) 3:44.50 (42.52)
4:17.08 (32.58) 4:49.04 (31.96)
11 Duerk, Lauren 22 Auburn Universit 4:48.95 4:49.80 862
r:+0.68 31.51 1:08.36 (36.85)
1:45.79 (37.43) 2:23.05 (37.26)
3:02.81 (39.76) 3:43.92 (41.11)
4:17.07 (33.15) 4:49.80 (32.73)
12 Beisel, Elizabe 13 Bluefish Swim Cl 4:50.31 4:50.87 853
r:+0.72 31.27 1:06.08 (34.81)
1:41.86 (35.78) 2:16.74 (34.88)
3:00.39 (43.65) 3:44.15 (43.76)
4:18.01 (33.86) 4:50.87 (32.86)
13 Rodriquez, Jess 16 Longhorn Aquatic 4:52.12 4:52.27 840
r:+0.85 30.83 1:06.00 (35.17)
1:42.84 (36.84) 2:19.61 (36.77)
3:02.67 (43.06) 3:46.95 (44.28)
4:20.47 (33.52) 4:52.27 (31.80)
14 Mueller, Justin 19 Club Wolverine-M 4:51.51 4:52.89 835
r:+0.79 30.57 1:06.27 (35.70)
1:45.15 (38.88) 2:22.95 (37.80)
3:04.46 (41.51) 3:46.04 (41.58)
4:20.66 (34.62) 4:52.89 (32.23)
15 Stupp, Julie 20 Auburn Universit 4:52.49 4:52.97 834
r:+0.72 30.66 1:05.37 (34.71)
1:42.84 (37.47) 2:20.05 (37.21)
3:02.48 (42.43) 3:44.99 (42.51)
4:20.03 (35.04) 4:52.97 (32.94)
16 O'Brien, Kaitli 19 Penn State Unive 4:50.41 4:53.74 828
r:+0.71 30.69 1:06.66 (35.97)
1:45.03 (38.37) 2:23.33 (38.30)
3:04.42 (41.09) 3:46.75 (42.33)
4:20.59 (33.84) 4:53.74 (33.15)

=== Bonus Final ===

17 Gingrich, Leah 16 Wsy Swimming-MA 4:53.30 4:49.52 865
r:+0.87 30.72 1:05.66 (34.94)
1:42.54 (36.88) 2:18.54 (36.00)
3:02.09 (43.55) 3:45.61 (43.52)
4:18.33 (32.72) 4:49.52 (31.19)
18 Carusone, Ashle 21 Gator Swim Club- 4:53.84 4:50.91 852
r:+0.78 30.90 1:05.54 (34.64)
1:43.03 (37.49) 2:20.13 (37.10)
3:02.89 (42.76) 3:45.98 (43.09)
4:19.07 (33.09) 4:50.91 (31.84)
19 Kay, Allison 18 Indiana Universi 4:53.61 4:51.82 844
r:+0.71 30.31 1:05.45 (35.14)
1:43.78 (38.33) 2:21.64 (37.86)
3:03.88 (42.24) 3:46.18 (42.30)
4:19.54 (33.36) 4:51.82 (32.28)
20 Crippen, Claire 17 Germantown Acade 4:54.92 4:52.81 836
r:+0.79 31.51 1:06.58 (35.07)
1:44.38 (37.80) 2:21.59 (37.21)
3:03.64 (42.05) 3:47.68 (44.04)
4:20.75 (33.07) 4:52.81 (32.06)
21 Shaw, Elizabeth 17 Nova of Virginia 4:55.12 4:54.17 824
r:+0.73 30.90 1:05.39 (34.49)
1:43.77 (38.38) 2:21.61 (37.84)
3:04.01 (42.40) 3:47.64 (43.63)
4:21.58 (33.94) 4:54.17 (32.59)
22 Haglund, Karie 19 Swim Atlanta-GA/ 4:53.54 4:54.76 819
r:+0.75 30.78 1:05.35 (34.57)
1:43.29 (37.94) 2:20.12 (36.83)
3:03.44 (43.32) 3:46.93 (43.49)
4:21.23 (34.30) 4:54.76 (33.53)
23 Morris, Kailey 18 Big Cat Aquatics 4:55.41 4:57.59 796
r:+0.70 31.20 1:06.17 (34.97)
1:44.66 (38.49) 2:22.52 (37.86)
3:06.45 (43.93) 3:51.54 (45.09)
4:25.50 (33.96) 4:57.59 (32.09)
24 Palera, Megan 20 Penn State Unive 4:55.57 4:58.21 791
r:+0.87 31.77 1:07.72 (35.95)
1:46.51 (38.79) 2:24.53 (38.02)
3:07.81 (43.28) 3:51.53 (43.72)
4:25.38 (33.85) 4:58.21 (32.83)

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